theory of evolution by Sherlock Holmes
by gormogon
Summary: my 1st fanfic for Sherlock because its an amazing show and be warned also I am a shipper abd proud of it so...
1. Chapter 1

**Hey so this is my 1****st**** Sherlock Fanfic because before this I didn't think myself worthy of their awesomeness to write a story but I started looking for Fanfics about camping and didnt find much so decided to write this if you like it I will write more….**

The rocky and windy landscape reminded John of Baskerville but this little valley in the Highlands of Scotland had more greenery,with tufts of grassland straggling out between the boulders to grow.

Sherlock dragged his backpack hesitantly behind John as the former took in a deep breath of the air,and blew away the city smog from his lungs in the process.

'John,I don't think Darwin meant for us to revert back to our neanderthaal days,I very much expect he wanted to progress in evolution,not regress'

'oh quite your whining Sherlock'

'why because I am disturbing your acclimatisation'

'no…because I have no idea what you just said but I think this Darwin bloke would have enjoyed himself at one time too,you know gone mad and bent the rules a little bit'

'John did you really just assume to have an insight into Darwin's thinking?'

At this John couldn't help but break down laughing when he saw Sherlock's face,it was all screwed up as if he had sniffed sour milk.

This stopped as he finaly realised Sherlock had insulted him…yet again.

'thanks Sherlock so you can refer to him when you want but Im insulting him when I refer..you now what I don't think you'd get on all that great with Darwin..far too much competition there is already a know-it-all in England'

'Darwin was the theorist of evolution John he practically timelined our existence from the neanderthaals up….

_(under his breath as Sherlock rattled on) _didn't warn the rest of us about your species arriving-

'I'm sorry what?'

With his bat like hearing Sherlock had caught the last of Johns sarcastic remark.

'oh so you heard me over your little one man show..I hope you and Darwin are very happy together'

With this John stomped off dramatically down the grassy Sherlock to the backlash of John's anger,he was confused at to what he had done since he had just claimed the facts of history,those which are important to the less important question of the solar system which John had once passionately chided Sherlock for not came to the conclusion that maybe John had his own interests and they differed from Sherlocks,but at least he could try.

'John,John hold you are aware of the fact that what you stated is highly improbable,Darwin lived centuries ago…John have you a good grasp of the famous inventor and astronomer Galileo,he was a true rebel of his time…when they all believed God was the creat-….

Sherlock continued his lesson all the way down the hill while John stomped on trying to hold in his giggle,imagining Sherlock running after him like a child chasing his mother trying to impress her or in this case apologising for being naughty in some way.


	2. Chapter 2

Sherlock jumped from foot to foot impatiently,he didn't like when John ignored him because he couldn't communicate his fantastic ideas or spurt theories as they shot impulsively into his head.

John was the only person that Sherlock could talk to who would listen to him properly and remain interested throughout his show of intelligent deduction because not even Mycroft remained interested or intuned to what Sherlock was saying when he was discussing cases.

'Sherlock?'

But when John turned around expecting to reconcile with Sherlock and not let himself self-destruct as he had been building up noticed Sherlock in the corner of the camping lodge looking at a flyer on the wall.

'John?'

'mm'

'John please do hurry up?'

'is it some evolutionary get together…is your mothership coming back to collect you?'

Sherlock grabbed John's lapels and pulled him down to read the flyer.

'Sherlock we do not need another part of the country talking about us'

Swatting his hand away at the same time John realised how worse it made the insinuation

When he read the name on the flyer he couldn't help but exclaim

'bloody hell Sherlock that's our dead archaeologist'


	3. Chapter 3

'John thanks for being ever so blunt but if you'll excuse the pun the fat lady has yet to grace us with her presence or her voice,now please do shut up my mind is awake and nagging me to use it'

John left Sherlock an hour and a half to himself while he tried to untangle what was their tent and poles.

'Now where do you go you little bugger?'

'John-

'Jesus Sherlock do you have to sneak up on people like that,I have a pole in my hand and Im still considering whether or not to use it'

Sherlock spun around manically settling on a point to the east.

'if you had used your acute geographical observation,you would have picked a spot over there where it's less rocky'

'Well maybe if you had been here to help I wouldn't have made such a stupid mistake'

'I was busy'

'what thinking,for the last hour,that tire you out did it need a little sleep maybe?'

'No actually I found that I didn't have enough facts yet to formulate a theory so I…I'

'YES?'

John waited to hear Sherlock admit to the fact that he had to gain his facts elsewhere.

'you what Sherlock?'

'I asked the locals a few questions not much just enough not to arouse their suspicions but enough to gauge whether our victim had close acquaintances here'

'oh so you had to speak to the locals to get help?'

'no I …merely had to gain a sense of this place and of the people Im dealing with'

'sherlock you never socialise with anyone unless you need something'

John recalled several times Sherlock had manipulated and used his charm on Molly and Irene once.

He missed a flicker of pain behind Sherlock's eyes as he said this and didn't catch Sherlock move swiftly to crouch beside him.

'John'

His icy blue eyes bore into John's.

'I never considered our friendship a pretense for some higher gain I was reaching for'

And with a swivel he was up and walking towards the hill

He had never before witnessed an adventuring Sherlock and smiled at the surprise of it…


	4. Chapter 4

'Sherlock do you want some stew?'

For the last half hour since he reappeared Sherlock had remained statuesque to the point of not breathing in and out bent over a piece of rock and analysing it intensely.

Deciding to bring it to him instead John stood over Sherlock till he broke form his trance which always reminded John of someone in the grip of a fever unable to escape from its sickening grip.

'John that glorified broth is not very likely to feed me nor nourish me in a way which study would'

'no I don't think that criticism mattes since its coming from a bloke who's been staring at a bloody stone for the last half hour'

'you exasperate me sometimes John with your lack of insight,look at this clay mineral and see if you can recall ever seeing it before'

Watching him as intently as a teacher might a student Sherlock waited for John's suggestions.

'about the composition…it seems…well I don't think I have ever come across a rock like this'

'exactly but tell me have you ever seen it before?'

'yes…I think I have Sherlock not long ago actually,but how did you-

'where have you seen it John?'

'at the scene where we found our victim'

Sherlock smiled a wide appreciative smile at his friend and jumped up ecstatically from the makeshift chair he had been sitting in.

'ok don't do the jumpy thing the jumpy thing is too patronising Sherlock,tell me what this means'

'well since I thought this rock was the key to our investigation I was analysing it,I had done all the research at home of course since you've dragged me to the nether regions of uninhabited space'

'Sherlock did you take that rock from the crime scene?'

'key to our investigation'

He repeated as if this justified his actions

'Sherlock you cant do that,that's tainted evidence now'

Sherlock raised his eyebrow in intrigue.

'when did you become such an expert of the legal system?'

'I watch the crime and investigation channel sometimes' John whispered sheepishly under his breath.

'so what do you think Sherlock is it a symbol a warning of some kind maybe'

'that is a good theory John just as valid as any at the moment but since I have been able to look at this in peace'

John rolled his eyes at this,so that is why Sherlock had disappeared it seems.

'it appears to me that since this rock is of unknown origin and even its composition is puzzling that this particular rock is an artifact of our victims collections but from where or what it comes from remains a mystery'

'And of course the other factor remains,an archaeologist is rarely unattached,they have investors,other archaeologists,sponsors,so the question is where are these accomplices around here?'


	5. Chapter 5

When Sherlock realised a significant detail that allows him to form a hypothesis from it it infests in his brain and releases spores which leads to more details which leads him to make a final solid theory on a case irrespective of the need to sleep or eat.

'funnily enough its not easy to sleep when there is a twitching madman beside you?'

'oh sorry John was I disturbing you only there is a case unsolved and quite possibly a murderer amongst us'

'you had to use the m word didn't you knowing I cant argue with it'

Sherlock raised an unamused eyebrow at John and pulled his coat tight around him as if his to stop any thoughts from escaping.

'John remind me again why we are sleeping on a rocky landmass where there are little inhabitants and even less transport routes of access'

'this place is tied to our case is it not?'

'oh yes…no..what was I saying thank you John you are a genius only we could have used other resources at our disposal,I could have had Lestrade look into it and send me details or photos would have done'

'yes because you need not make any sacrifices in the pursuit of a murderer,why are you so narcissistic Sherlock,making everyone do the dirty work while you just sit back and wait..you're always complaining about being bored and searching for adventure well here is your adventure'

And with a huff John turned onto his side putting his back to Sherlock,he was trying to staedy his breathing after the outburst before he felt a weight on his shoulder.

'John..I appreciate the gesture you have made,you allowed me to come as close to the case as possible,an advantage to our investigation that staying at home wouldn't have given me'

John regained a twinkle in his eye at this apology and remained still as if not to disturb an animal in the wild,Sherlock noticed John's breathing speedup as he spoke but now it had become more regulated,he wasn't asleep when Sherlock had been speaking and this satisfied Sherlock that his speech had had the desired affect.

John opened his eyes to the unnatural light of the new day,for a moment he was confused about where he was because he usually woke each morning to closed curtains on the windows until he realised he was camping..with Sherlock who wasn't in the sleeping blanket beside him.

The countryside looked beautiful as John peeled away the door of the tent to get a better look.

He stretched as Sherlock made his way towards him.

'it seems we have company'

Sherlock indicated the three other tents that had joined them on the hillside.

'good morning to you too did you put a spoonful of suspicion in your tea today or is that just another one of your charming qualities'

'I have been up for the last 3 hours questioning people at the lodge'

'ah so should I be scared of going in there or not?'

'they weren't very helpful to say the least..it seems our victim didn't have many acquaintances here,from what I gather,our victim was a lonely man,routine in his habits but a local of the lodge when he came as corroborated by a married couple and the mistress with which the husband is cheating'

'oh no please tell me you didn't say anything when you were questioning them?'

'questioning them outright would defeat my purpose of gaining information it was more a general chat we all three of us had and what a show they put on,the husband had his wedding ring on the wrong finger the wife seemed to be placid,accepting a servant almost to her husbands wishes and the mistress well her timidity didn't fool me especially when she had around her neck a necklace expensive and quite similar to the bracelet he gave his wife that and the reek of awful aftershave I tried to escape from the husband only to be met with it ever so faintly from the mistress'

'so you have a suspect then?'

'no we have not yet questioned the lodge owner he was missing this morning some errand in to town but if Im not mistaken that is his truck pulling up,come Watson'

'Sherlock please don't offend this man he's rather nice'

'ah hello there are you two enjoying yourselves out there?'

Sherlock was faced with a stocky man not yet in his thirties,he had stubble from lack of shaving and a pale colour tinted his cheeks as if he had faced a tragedy or battling an was a drop of blood on his collar which allowed Sherlock to commence questioning him.

'you have been to the butchers in town this morning,anything special on the menu tonight?'

'well..yes I have how did you-

'its my specialty..as my friend John Watson might have told you yesterday'

'eh hello again George this is my eccentric friend I was telling you about'

'hello again John..you seem to have..ah well your hair is-

In a gesture both didn't expect,George proceeded to reach over the reception desk and ruffle John's hair,then withdrew as if he had been burned and cast his face down almost in shame.

John was lost in confusion and embarrassment but he didn't need Sherlock to make a deduction from the act.

Before Sherlock could chime in and insult the man further John asked

'George were you in a relationship with Mr Golding,the archaeologist?'

Sherlock looked genuinely taken aback by John's question if his wide eyes were anything to go by.


	6. Chapter 6

The face of the guilty man was enough to tell Sherlock that John had set upon the truth.

'can we speak somewhere a little more private only you know my situation John'

The man looked around him as he whispered this as if he was ashamed of his secret.

'I take it your wife doesn't know about you're relationship with the victim?'

John asked when they were seated at a table at the back of the lodge.

'my wife she..she's understanding,she's as good a housewife as you can get but she can be demanding at times and Jack well Jack was so gentle and quiet we started out talking into the long hours after I closed this place and he would listen to me really listen in earnest…the way he would lean in and his eyes would shine'

He was lost to the memories of happy days with his lover momentarily and John found himself feeling sorry for the unhappy life he was continuing on with without the comfort of a friend.

'it began to change between us ever so slightly last autumn I think we first…hmm well the first time we entered a proper relationship'

The man had become flustered at finishing his story but Sherlock and John deduced the rest for Sherlock was questioning in his head whether the lodge owner or maybe the wife who had in fact found out about the affair and killed the lover in an act of revenge,John was wondering whether his life was on a similar path to George'e story and that perhaps all friendship become something more when two people have a strong bond and common likenesses.

From the warmth of the lodge both men left to return to their airy tent the temperature had dropped a few degrees since yesterday and the cold bit at their faces.

'John you utterly surprised me back there,I was caught be the revelation and until the man had actually admitted his guilt I considered you had gone quite mad'

'its annoying isn't it being left out of the loop?'

'I wouldn't know'

'ha if I didn't know you were so direct I would have thought that was sarcasm'

To this John received a a wicked grin,the one that indicated Sherlock was being mischievous.

'so what did you learn from our lodge keeper John?'

'oh I would say but unfortunately I've worn myself out detecting things today'

'from what I have heard it seems that the lodge keeper was very much in love with the victim,there were tears in his eyes it wasn't forced or preplanned sentiment it was real but from what I have researched and found in my own experience is that spouses are generally aware that their significant others are cheating or at least they have instincts which arise from observations'

'so you're thinking maybe the wife did it?'

'if a man is treating another man with great attention and spending much more tome than is necessary with them,then it would be hard not to suspect there was something going on wouldn't it?'

John decided to forgo mentioning the fact that Sherlock had basically verbalised their lives together since he moved into 221 B baker Street.

In the darkness John felt a cold compress at his back he shifted trying to get it off but it wouldn't looked around through groggy eyes to see Sherlock quite close to him facing his back.

'sorry John its just too cold,my body temperature has dropped so much heat has stopped circulating to my hands and feet'

'so you decided to use me as a hot water bottle did you?'

'there is 50/50 transfer of heat now with both of us touching'

John suddenly felt himself burn up at this statement and again had to remind himself that he was talking to a man who didn't realise the full effect or the misinterpretation of his speeches.

'John you're warmth has exceedingly increased'

Thank god Sherlock couldn't see his ears which were burning like red lights on a Christmas tree.


	7. Chapter 7

On the third morning John had the pleasure of waking before Sherlock,he had the never before experienced pleasure of witnessing Sherlock his eyelids closed he looked surreal,but a beautiful composed surreal figure he made and John was in a trance for a few minutes before the passing of a shadow across their tent broke him from the reverie.

He thought nothing of it and decided to get some coffee from the need for the warm beverage overcoming his embarrassment of facing the lodge owner again.

Luckily when he arrived there was a woman at the counter,probably the wife so highly spoken of yesterday.

But just as John took a sip of his coffee he heard a whisper to the side of him

'John'

The lodge owner was beckoning John to a side booth as his wife's eyes followed every movement until John was concealed by a pillar.

'ah John I hoped to catch you only I ah…ahem..needed the privacy away from my wife you see'

'I don't think I did Jack full justice yesterday as I had meant and when we were finished our interview I recalled something which may help the investigation'

John nodded to go on while George kept straining his neck to see if his wife was anywhere reminded John of a turtle that retreated into its shell when disturbed like the cowardly creature it was.

'a few months back when Jack and I were well acquainted with each other,Jack told me of his next biggest dig and that it would be a great discovery for him and the archaeological course I know nothing of the practice itself but the way he was talking it..well it could very well be a good reason for murder or motive or whatever you call it doesn't it?'

John nodded in answer to this question,the promise of a find that could lead to prestige or a great amount of money is always a great motive for murder.

As John was making his way up the hill to give Sherlock the new information he noticed two figures at the other tent,the occupant of which seemed to become aggravated the more the other moved towards him.

As John came closer he realised the encroaching man was in fact Sherlock asking it seemed for some milk as he was boiling some tea by the tent.

John caught up to them in time to save Sherlock irritating yet another local.

'hi sorry about my friend he's a bit special you know we thought the country air would do him the world of good'

The owner of the tent merely grunted in reply to this.

'Sherlock there is coffee and tea at the lodge why did you have to go and hassle that bloke for milk?'

'I was testing a theory John did you see his tent,brand new the poles were gleaming not used often no rust and the material of the tent,almost like tarpaulin not the cheap stuff not like ours'

John rolled his eyes at this

'and the compass he keeps around his neck,concealed in a locket, a man of travel then and above all else John he has been here since we came and hasn't left yet even though he has no cooking utensils and a slight injury to his shoulder,he winced as I went to shake his hand'

'blimey did you happen to get his lotto numbers and all?'

'so what is keeping him here exactly,he needs medical attention that's a certainty,he barely leaves his tent and doesn't have any means by which to feed or satiate himself'

This recalled this morning to John all too suddenly

'uh,Sherlock I think…I mean I know someone was passing our tent this morning'

This stopped Sherlock in his whispered rant as he turned to John and fixed him with his full analytical gaze which utterly terrified John.

'what time was this?'

'About half eight I thought it was just another camper but now….'

'now you know it was someone intentionally watching our tent because the nearest tent to ours is approximately 15 feet and there is no reason why someone would have to pass our tent unless that was their primary aim'

Even inside the small tent Sherlock still managed to pact the rocky ground beneath.

'anything else of vital importance you forgot to divulge John thet could very likely lead to the murderer?'

'all right smart arse,you probably just aroused our neighbours suspicion by going over there and asking for milk knowing full well we go to the lodge every morning for coffee'

'I needed to get a closer look,he suspects nothing,as a part of my research I studied micro facial expressions and thus know by the slightest twinge of the mouth if someone is angry,sad etc'

'fascinating anyway this morning I had an awkward run in with George the lodge owner he told me that the victim was talking about discovering something huge and that it would make history'

'how could he have left that out yesterday stupid man,his mind is so stale and underused that he is forgetting all the important things and keeping mere sentimental details in his head'

'Sherlock those memories are important to him,God help if I ever kick the bucket before you,you'll probably have me erased as soon as Im in the coffin'

John thought he saw a flash of pain pass Sherlock's eyes before he became animated again in the full rush of his thought processes.A train whizzing by with facts attached and certainties coming into focus.

'that's it John I think I know what happened quick before he escapes'

Sherlock grabbed the rare mineral rock from his coat pocket and ran from the tent.

John followed

They caught the other man unawares as they reached his tent,his bag was packed and by the tent door but he relaise drunning was fruitless when he saw the conviction in Sherlock's eyes.

'you know what this is don't you? You have seen it before,you and your partner Jack,the one that's lying dead in a morgue in London'

'you are completely out of order if you continue to harass me I shall…

'im sorry we seem to have interrupted your departure,perhaps we can accompany you to Scotland Yard because that's where you'll be going once we've finished talking'

The man stood tall and held his ground so that it became a standoff between him and Sherlock.

'you were on to a big thing a new discovery that would create ripples in the archaeological world,you'd be the envy of your peers, colleagues and associates but you didn't want to share understandably really like many Noble Prize Winners before you all great inventors discoverers and scientists all want the trophy for themselves,sharing the achievement is simply anticlimactic'

'you can't prove any of it there were no records of the find an-

'oh but I have the very piece in my hand because one aspect of being a narcissist such as yourself means that it is impossible not to show off and of course you displayed your very trophy of discovery right next to your colleague because you couldn't help youself,some people may have believed it a symbol of warning to others as relics usually are at crime scenes but this time it was simply a display of the artifact you uncovered'

'as for the records I read about the journey of two fearless travellers to the land of Jordan off the coast of Egypt where they attempted to excavate despite the tense relations on the political scene but then again all I had to look for really were the ship logs of which the captain who sailed you your partner and the materials you needed was very accommodating in that respect'

Lestrade reached the camp at a little over midnight and flew with the suspect back to London while John and Sherlock decided to start their drive back in the morning.

Their not so restful trip was over but Sherlock sensed John was in angry as he kept huffing and puffing like a deflating balloon.

'John is something the matter are you suffering any respiratory afflictions?'

'no actually Sherlock its you and your complex,how long..I mean how long did you know that our camp neighbour was the killer?'

'John believe me I was as clueless as you there were no photographs to compare him to only an article and a few records but the compass first triggered my suspicions,I have a notion its this air that's tainted my mind and caused me to react much slower than normal'

'oh please do not go on about the bloody air again or there will be another murder here tonight'

But as he looked up he was triggered into a fit of laughter with Sherlock because whether he admitted it out loud or not,Sherlock really enjoyed his time in raw of the countryside with John and it provided him with the opportunity to catch up on some well deserved reading of the tobacco ash of the Nicaraguan region.


End file.
